Christchurch, New Zealand (BBN) - It's like that snake and ladder game. They go up and promise so much, show signs of better days to come, display the kind of potential that makes the world sit up and notice.
And then they come crashing down, reports cricbuzz.
Bangladesh have caused enough 'upsets' over the last couple of years for them to not be termed 'upsets' anymore.
But time and again, they show the kind of shabby downfall that is more reminiscent of their performances of the earlier decade, where hovered over them was the label of being 'minnows'.
On Monday (January 23) again, with the match placed well in balance, they crumbled; just like they did in the previous Test, just like they did in Chittagong against England late last year - one match before they registered their most precious Test win till date.
With less than 156 overs bowled over three days, courtesy the uncalled gifts of rain God and inadequate covers to protect the ground at the Hagley Oval, a result in the second Test seemed highly unlikely.
New Zealand had lost seven wickets and were still 29 runs shy of Bangladesh's first innings total of 289 before the start of the fourth day.
Unlike the usual practice, in Christchurch, there was some role reversal with the tourists deciding to be warm to the hosts.
Off the 13th ball of the fourth day, Tim Southee was dropped.
Neil Wagner too got a treat of their warmth as he also got a reprieve while batting on 7.
The two added up to the tally of three straightforward dropped chances on Day 2 to make it five.
Fortunately for Bangladesh, the combined total of runs added by the batsmen the all the five catches were put down only accounted for 35 runs.
Technology, unfortunately, is yet to develop enough to make an assessment of what would have resulted through pressure had the catches been taken.
Nonetheless, the morning session belonged to Henry Nicholls who played a chanceless knock.
After Southee departed early in the day, Nicholls took charge and struck some brisk boundaries.
Soon after New Zealand went past Bangladesh's first innings score, Nicholls, in the company of Wagner, ensured that a boundary was scored every over for the next half an hour.
There was no premium on singles and twos either. He became a little edgy and nervous while closing in on his maiden international century, and eventually, while batting on 98, inside edged Mehedi Hasan's delivery back on to his stumps.
Trent Boult came out with the intention of providing some entertainment and gave glimpses of it by striking his fifth ball on to the stands over the long on fence.
His show, unfortunately, had to end abruptly with Wagner getting run out under bizarre circumstances in the next over.
New Zealand's first innings folded up on 354, 65 runs ahead of their counterparts.
Even as the lead wasn't big enough, Bangladesh knew they could've and should have cut short their innings a bit earlier, and conceded fewer runs.
The momentum had shifted in favour of the hosts early in the day, and it only tilted further towards them as the sun made its journey westwards.
The hosts were spot on with their plan with the ball. The new-ball pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee operated in contrasting lengths.
While the left-armer was fast and pitched it up, Southee was happy peppering the openers with some short-pitched deliveries.
The move paid off as Tamim Iqbal went for an unnecessary pull and ended up offering the deep square leg fielder an easy catch.
His second innings as captain also ended in a dismal manner as Bangladesh went to Lunch at 20 for 1.
Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar, who continued Bangladesh's charge did well to consolidate the innings, added a steady 41-run stand.
While the right-hander was cautious with his stroke making, the southpaw was happy punishing anything outside off.
Eventually, the shot that fetched him a good part of his 36 runs, led to his downfall as Jeet Raval stretched high to take a superb catch at gully.
Shakib Al Hasan, who came at his fall, got a reprieve early on in the innings when Raval failed to take a low catch.
But yet again, the veteran all-rounder played a reckless stroke when the team needed a greater contribution from him.
He cut a wide delivery outside off to gift a simple catch to Colin de Grandhomme an easy catch and Southee his 200th Test wicket.
With two wickets in quick succession, New Zealand got completely on top of the opposition and two more headed back to the dressing room in the dying minutes of the second session.
Neil Wagner uprooted Mahmudullah's stumps and had Sabbir Rahman edging a catch to the wicketkeeper.
Bangladesh resumed the final session on 100 for 5. In 22 balls, they were 107 for 7 with Nurul Islam and Nazmul Hossain finding the environs of the dressing room more comfortable.
Mehedi too didn't last long as the start of the third session was turning out to be a period of 'blink-and-miss' action.
With the scope of Bangladesh's return to the contest diminishing with each passing over, Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam, No 9 and 10, decided to hit out.
Apart from the fact that their batting provided for some entertaining viewing for the spare crowd at Hagley Oval, it proved quite effective for Bangladesh as well as they went on to add 51 runs for the ninth wicket off only 48 balls.
But the show time couldn't last too long as they folded up for 173, setting a target of 109 runs.
New Zealand pacers shared the spoils equally - three each for Southee, Boult and Wagner, while Colin de Grandhomme took one.
By the time Bangladesh came to defend the total, the morale had already dropped.
With ample loose deliveries on offer, New Zealand openers Jeet Raval and Tom Latham had to take little risk to find boundaries.
With time running out for the day, de Grandhomme, who walked out to bat No 3, hit some lusty blows to ensure their quick progress to victory.
14 wickets in the day, a 2-0 series win for New Zealand and a complete whitewash on the tour for Bangladesh.
BRIEF SCORES
Bangladesh 289 (Soumya Sarkar 86, Shakib Al Hasan 59; Tim Southee 5-94, Trent Boult 4-87) & 173 (Mahmudullah 38, Soumya Sarkar 36; Neil Wagner 3-44, Tim Southee 3-48) lost to New Zealand 354 (Henry Nicholls 98, Ross Taylor 77, Tom Latham 68; Shakib Al Hasan 4-50, Mehedi Hasan 2-59) & 111/1 (Tom Latham 41*) by 9 wickets.
BBN/MS/SK